Wednesday, April 17, 2013

Earwigs: The Banished. A Trick I Use!

This post was written years ago but never published! So here is a blast from the past. I no longer have kids in carriers, now they run rampant and leave me dizzy.

First off let me tell you I broke my camera today. So sad. I had the strap clipped inside my Ergo (baby carrier) strap. When I took my youngin' off my back I dropped the camera and it bounced and came apart. So, these are pics from my phone. Not too shabby I must say, I'm impressed with my phone at the moment.

So this is how I trick earwigs into a firey death. That's right, death. First, we have to understand that earwigs and sow bugs (and rolly polies) love decaying matter. Love it. Thrive on it. Unless you have a crazy infestation of said buggers (and for the record, sow bugs and rolly polies are NOT insects, they are isopods which are more closely related to crabs than to insects!) your blamed buggers are not the culprits. The added bonus of sow bugs et all is that sow bugs (et all) need moisture to live. NEED it. They can be found in the quiet, moist, luxurious cracks of things. I don't blame them. I like it there too. I'd string a hammock and I bet they would too. Now it's important to know that they really won't go after something live and fresh. Usually. Slugs. The word itself is dirty but it's important to realize that slugs and snails are the usual culprits to damage to seedlings and strawberries and greens and .... They really are the ones to blame most of the time. The slugs and snails do their damage while the sun rests and then the sow bugs (et all) move in to clean things up because that is their nature and I can only imagine we should be glad for that job they do! But... if things are out of hand we must protect our food. First, go out at night and get rid of those dang slugs. Pull them off. Throw them to your chickens or give them a good stomp. Do it regularly. Enjoy the moon and the (coming) summer wind. Love every second because soon it will be winter again! (shhh)

Collect straw/grass clipping/pulled weeds and shove the into a pot/broken gourd/mason jar, whatever! Turn upside down and rest on a stick that has been driven into the ground. I find I have the best success when the upturned container is several inches off the ground. Check container daily, be careful to not let them drop out when you check -- I do it over a paper bag and throw it in the fire.

2 comments:

you just admitted they aren't to blame yet you're still interested in burning them at the stake. *tsk* what did they ever do to you?

as for slugs, look up the invasive leopard slug. I have seen two this season. They come in a number of colors but are usually brown, are 6 to 8 inches if they're a one, have a small "keel shaped" shell on their upper body, and are well known for eating native slug species as well as garden plants. They're from the UK, and although their natural habitat are forests, in the USA they spend their time destroying crops, noming and guming up compost, cleaning off garbage cans or things covered in dirt and decaying matter in sheds.

Then theres their mating ritual. They attach to each other and dangle from the eves of a house or a tree branch and spin around in the air while they copulate. Yes, they screw dangling in the air. The mucus line they hang from is the most disgusting part about it. My neighbor poured diatomaceous earth on one, all it did was shrink.

don't blame the earwigs, put them in your compost pile. If anything should burn its the leopard slugs and the stupid little green cabbage worms.

Our home and garden are located in Prunedale, California. We live near enough to the ocean to enjoy a healthy coastal influence but are far enough inland to get a bit of heat. Our soil is a stubborn mix of clay and sand, and because our garden is located at the top of a hill topsoil is thin if present at all. We garden organically and value sustainability on social, economic, and agricultural levels. Welcome to our teeny corner of the planet! Enjoy your visit and come back soon.